Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-14
MORE OF THE TRUTH.
1t Ia Estimated that One Fourth of the
People OF Jack County Have
Left that County.
Stephens County in About the Same Con-
dition - Many Families Must
Have Help ut Once.
IN JACK COUNTY.

JACKsBoI0, TEX, jan ,, 1887.
To the Editor of the Gazette
Yours of the - ult. came duly to hand.
l withheld reply q few days, to learn more
| fully the facts as to the effects of the
drouth. There is not one farmer. that I
know Of, who raised q surplus of grain in
1886, and there are maryland some good
!armers-who raised comparatively moth
ing, some not so much as the seed tney
| planted. There has been no such drouth
| since the county has been settled. Seven
months ago the population Of our county
was estimated at about H., 900. The
county judge estimates that about
one-fourth of the population have
moved away because they could not stay
here and live. He also estimates. and no
doubt correctly, that there are at lesst
400 families here Who must have assist
ance from some source, or there will be
much suffering. Very many good citi-
Zens bought their homes on credit, and
have used all the surplus made in preyl
GUS years to pay the installments as they
fell due; so, when this unprecedented
drouth came or them, they were unpre-
pared to meet it. 1t is true there we're
few thousand bushels of old
corn ana wheat in the country.
The relief committee found all
told about 5000 bushels wheat snd corn,
not one bushel to the yerson.
Some families cannot get away;
many families would be left
helpless if the only one man
in them was to leave them to work for
bread. 1t is much easier for those who
ere not in distress to give advice than for
those in want TO act ON advice given,
much Of which is much further out of
reach of the sufferers than the wolf is
from their door.
1t is needless for me to write more
The drouth is still severe, wheat in many
places is dying, and the outlook for the
next wheat crop is gloomy indeed.
AN OLD SRTTLER.
IN STEPHENS COUNTY.
BRECKENRIDGE, TEX, Jan. ), 1857.
To the Editor of the Gazette.
Being confined closely to my office my
means Of information is confined for the
most TO Information derived from others.
The extent and disastrous effect of the
drouth cannot well be exaggerated. Crops
of all kinds were q total failure. The
range, also, gave way to such an extent
as to necessitate the removal of the
greater part of stock 10 other sections of
the country. The population of the
county being largely composed of small
farmers, having nothing left over from
the previous year, found them at harvest
with nothing TO live on. The stock still
remaining In the county were
poor and unfit for market, or
unavailable for any purpose.
There was no money In the country, no
employment to be had. The people were
in debt, msny settlers being compelled to
forfeit their homes because of inability TO
pay the the annual interest falling due to
the state on their purchases. Many as
good, honest and Industrious people as
are to be found anywhere were then not
only unable to raise means to save their
homes from forfeiture, but found them
selves actually destitute Of the neces, aries
OF life or the means of procuring the
same. In this alarming condition of
things many lett the country, some per-
others temporarily, in search Of
and food for themselves and
families. Public meetings were held,
The county commissioners court was
called in extra session TO devise means of
relief, the result Of which was that the
court appropriated the
surplus remaining on hand in the county
treasury "a small am0unO to the relief of
the most needy, and sfIer publishing an
appeal for aid, authorized sever | OF our
to solicit contributions from other
and more favored sections Of the coun-
try. In response to this appeal there has
been received by this county small
amount of supplies, but entirely made
quate to relieve the necessities OF the
people. l am informed by the di,trib-
no w &c
exhausted, leaving many now in
mid winter at the door of want
and restitution. True the late rains
in the fall revived the range, and many
farmers, through donation and otherwise,
again sowed their farms in wheat and
other small grain, but it seems we are
again to suffer for want Of the necessary j
rains to insure the crop. Indeed, in
many sections Of the country farmers
report the wheat dying already, while it
Is generally conceded that # we d. not
have rain soon the cron must be failure.
w. j. HAYNES, p. NJ.
and correspondent of the Gazette.
IN PALO PINTO COUNTY.
NJ NERAL WELLS, Tx, Jan 5, 1887.
To the Editor Of the Gazette
The drouth still continues and wheat
is beginning to die in many places, and
If rain does not come soon the farmers
will be unable to pitch their crops for an.
other year. The future for this country
certainly looks gloomy, and another fail
IRE of the crops in this section will almost
depopulate tnis part OF the state. Money
matters were never known TO be SO tight,
and how the people are to pull through
even until another crop is made is ques-
ton that puzzles many OF US. There are
many people throughout this country who
are actually in destitute circumstances,
md deserve the sympathies of their more
fortunate brethren in the East. Obi